10+ Antivirus Apps for iPhone and iPad

Today, most people’s phone / tablet of choice is an Apple product – be it an iPhone or an iPad, I’m sure you frequently use it for online shopping, banking, gaming and other things that are a big part of your day to day life. Just like your computer, you need to protect your phone from anything malicious, such as malware. Just like when you search the App Store for a game, book or any other app, you need to search the App Store for protection for your phone or tablet. There are a few different applications here that all offer the same kind of protection – some are paid, others are free – but to prevent you from getting confused by what’s out there, I’ve compiled a ‘best of’ list to help you choose.

Why Do I Need Protection For My iPhone / iPad?

The same reason you need protection on your computer or your laptop – to prevent hackers from getting access to your valuable data. Chances are, you use your phone to transfer money or buy gifts or do shopping – these activities all use your data, which is like goldust for hackers. So, in order to protect your crucial information, antivirus software is a must.

One of the perks of having a smartphone like iPhone or a powerful tablet like an iPad is being able to do all sorts of cool things on the go. Protecting your data while traveling or even just at home, is paramount to keeping your devices running smoothly and your information safe. Why have an antivirus? With the information that gets exchanged while using back apps, to the messages you send via text, Facebook, and mobile banking, a wealth of privet information gets sent on a daily basis that you wouldn’t want people to get their hands on.

With a simple search you can find tons of programs for protecting your devices, but which ones do you choose? With all the apps that say “Security” that don’t have antivirus or any real security features, who can you trust? After going over the best performing, highest rated and most downloaded security apps, we’ve figured out the best for your buck. Here we have compiled a list of the best antivirus apps to download for your iPhone and iPad.

This app is the most popular and most used app on this list. Lookout was featured on 60 minutes because of it’s rating and usefulness. This app with back up persona data such as contacts and phone numbers, along with photos automatically. You can even have it tell you when your iPhone or iPad and your Apple Watch are too far apart to tell you when one goes missing. The thing that makes this app so popular is the Lookout feature that allows you to find your phone, apple watch or tablet if it gets lost or stolen. It even saves the last location before the batter dies. Always keen to keep you up to date, Lookout will remind you if you need to update your iOS. You can also use this app to make your device give off an alarm from their website, or just call your phone. Also, if you have to replace your device, you can sync your personal data across devices. This app is currently free.

Chances are, you’ve already heard of McAfee as it’s a popular choice for data protection. Famous for its renowned antivirus protection, McAfee boasts powerful virus barricades. A nice, clean simple user system means that the not so avid tech fan can use this easily. Fast updates and speedy scans for anything shady ensures your data is being well looked after.

The user interface is streamlined and neat, and very simple to follow. It’s quick to update, and has multiple options when scanning your device, allowing you to control the level of protection. It allows you to shield your personal information behind a secure pin, takes secure photos straight from the app and automatically encrypts them for safe keeping, and gives you a “vault” to put your most sensitive and privet information into to keep it. The best feature may be the ability to wipe contacts; it can remotely wipe your contact list before the information falls into the wrong hands. With Location abilities and the ability to call your phone so it can sound an alarm, even if your phone is in silent mode, it’s perfect for people who misplace their device often. It currently has a both a free and paid version, with the paid unlocking more features.

MobiShield monitors your traffic and vulnerabilities in your apps, and then monitors and fixes those weaknesses. It can also check whether there is a jailbreak on your iPhone. With real-time online restoration, support safe backup and restoration of contacts, and monitor your battery and display standby duration, this app is not just an antivirus but a multitool app. It can also scan and monitor the network connections your device makes on a daily basis, and set a alarm for how much traffic your deices uses, keeping you from overage charges on your phone or data plan. It also can monitor in real-time, and all statistical data is directly from iOS system. With a 4+ star rating and totally free, it’s easy to see why this one is very popular.

Again, this might be one you have heard of before – Norton Security is one of the biggest and well-known cross-platform antivirus companies in the industry. They bring that skill and know how to iPhone and iPad with Norton Mobile Security – Lost Phone Finder. It’s obvious from the title that the main big feature is the ability to find your lost iPhone or iPad on a map with the remote feature. You can remotely trigger a “scream” when the phone or device is lost to quickly locate them. This app also has backup for your contacts and cross device syncing. With the ability to control multiple devices though their website, this app is great for anyone who has multiple devices and travels. As well as this, Norton offers secure back up for your contacts and images, and is a solid all-rounder when keeping your data safe. It also comes with Norton Support, a site that centers around helping you the coverage you need. The only downfall is, in order to use this free app you must have a current Norton Mobile Security subscription already paid for.

A very intelligent app, Trend Micro Mobile Security may be the least known of all the apps to appear on this list – however, don’t let this fool you as it is a very competent virus blocking app. This app gives you more control, and allows you to be able to modify the level of protection you have on your device. With a Smart Protection Network that stops web and privacy threats before they can cause damage to your device, Trend Micro has features to keep you safe while surfing the net. You can block 3rd party tracking within Safari Browser to protect you from nosy advertisers, and with a website filter that comes in handy when allowing kids to play with your iPhone or iPad with SafeSurfing, this app is all about keeping your device safe no matter who is online. They also have three filter settings for SafeSurfing: child, pre-teen and teen. It can even protect your social media accounts, like Facebook and Twitter. With “Today View” you can monitor how much data, cellular and roaming data you’ve used. Drawback is that most of the better features are only available with an in-app purchase of subscription. You also have to be at least 17 or older to download this app.

Avira Mobile Security can locate up to 5 lost or stolen devices at once. With a Yell feature that makes finding devices easier, it also allows you to call the device remotely. It can also check your email for possible phishing scams and can tell you if your contacts in your email may have been hacked. They also have a huge community of users who come together to help each other out in an Answers community. With an OS checker to ensure your iOS is up to date, and a yell option for lost or stolen devices, this app is up to the challenge of helping you keep track of your phone. This app is pretty good for free, but the GPS does tend to drain the battery.

Browsing the Internet can be hit and miss at times, but F-Secure keeps you safe on the web. With a warning system that keeps you from unsafe sites, and a security check for banking sites to make sure your vital information remains secure, you don’t have to worry while surfing online. F-Secure is not just useful for iPhone but for iPad and devices that are shared by a whole family. With Parental Controls you can set time limits, choose what they can browse and find their device when it’s lost. F-Secure is also available in over twenty languages and has a rating for 4 stars. While the app is free, you must be at least 17 years old or older to download.

SecureLine is a Wi-Fi security and privacy shield for iOS devices. Created by Avast, this app allows you to mask your online presence, and one tap to set it up and let it run. This app allows you to choose your location while online, allowing you to see content often blocked by country. The mask helps to keep online sites from monitoring your activities, and secures your communications while on multiple chat apps like Kik and Facebook chat. It’s only free for the first seven days, but at $2.99 a month or $19.99 a year, it’s one of the least expensive while also being one of the most productive apps available.

This does exactly what it says on the tin. It shows off its admirable virus blocking skills with swift scans of any apps you may have downloaded NOT from the App Store. You can also rest assured about the email attachments you download and will even check files from a remote location. Virus Barrier also allows you to scan on demand, and will fix and corrupt files it may come across. The helpful little app also keeps a log of all your scans for you, should you ever need to check back on them.

Be Careful What You Download

Be careful when looking for other anti-virus apps. VirusBarrier and VirusDetector were removed from the Apple store in an effort to cull back untruthful or misleading virus scanners. While VirusBarrier has tried appealing to Apple to be re-instated, it doesn’t look like they plan on allowing them back into the Apple store. A lot of supposed antivirus apps have misleading wording or don’t have anything to do with security and more to do with syncing up to cloud servers in an attempt to secure your information, only to hold that information hostage if you don’t subscribe.

This list has passed the test, proving to be the real deal.

We hope this list will help you miss the pitfalls of searching for legitimate security for your iPhone and iPad. With this list in hand you can keep your personal information safe and secure. We love to hear from you, so please leave your comments, and leave us suggestions on what should be added to the list. Happy (and secure) surfing!